Agriculture

Precision agriculture (precision farming), is an umbrella term for IoT-based methods that allow farming to be more accurate and controlled. What this means is that crops and livestock will get the exact treatment that they need, as determined by machines with extraordinary accuracy. This method differs from the classical approach in that precision farming allows decisions to be carried out per square meter or even per plant/animal instead of per field. By precisely measuring variations within a field, the effectiveness of pesticides, and fertilizers can be boosted or used selectively.

Using manual intervention or a proportional control mechanism to control the environmental parameters in traditional greenhouses often generates production loss, energy loss, and a higher labor cost. Manual intervention can be eliminated by using IoT-drive smart greenhouses, which intelligently monitor and control the climate by using sensors that are deployed to measure environmental parameters based on the needs of each specific crop. That data can then be used for processing and control with little to no manual intervention, and is sent to and stored in a cloud-based platform.

Similar to precision farming, using smart farming techniques to better monitor each individual animal allows farmers to be able to adjust the nutrition accordingly, which in turn prevents disease and improves herd health. Smart farming techniques can be used to monitor the location, well-being, and health of cattle by using a wireless IoT application, which subsequently allows farmers insight into identifying sick animals so that they can be separated from the rest of the herd to prevent the spread of disease.

Identifying and tracking tank levels of liquids, grains, other solids, and even gases is easier than ever with IoT-enabled tank monitoring solutions that use battery-powered sensors which allow users to remotely track the tank levels and uses. This subsequently eliminates manual meter readings and assessments.